Despite what that Corona-soaked dude told you last year at that Cinco de Mayo patio rager, May 5 is not Mexican Independence Day. That'd be Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo commemorates El Dia de la Batalla de Pueblo, a date in 1862 when Mexican forces at Puebla defeated an army of French occupiers.

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is mostly a regional celebration, big in the state of Puebla, and not so much elsewhere. In the States, the holiday has become a celebration of Mexican culture and, along with St. Patrick's Day, one of our boozier holidays.

But of course, there's much more to it than Modelo and margaritas. And you can experience it at this Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, sponsored by LULAC Little Rock (Times sister publication El Latino is also a sponsor). There will be Mexican music, dancing, food trucks and festivities, including performances from Chicos Style, Banda F5, Mariachi America and the Folkloric Ballet Reflejos de Mexico. Children get in free, and a portion of the proceeds will go toward the Patricia Guardado UALR Scholarship.